Following the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, there are countless stories of families who have lost all their belongings and others who wonder whether they will ever be able to return home given the nuclear situation. The global economy, albeit showing some signs of progress, continues to be in a tenuous position. With the constant barrage of threats to our health, economy, environment, and world, it can seem that life is risky business. One has to wonder, “Can we really expect to be safe anywhere? Are we simply at the mercy of unpredictable circumstances?”

From my study of Christian Science, I’ve found the answer to the “can we expect safety” question is, emphatically, “Yes!” I have learned in studying Christian Science that God is Life itself; in other words, God—good—is the reality and substance of all being. The universe is not made up of rocks, dust, and flesh organized into different packages, all subject to decay and death. Instead, it is spiritual; it is the reflection of all good, all harmony, all peace. This is the permanent, steadfast fact of creation because it is the unchanging nature of God, and the reflection cannot deviate from its original. It is the Science—the unchanging and universal nature—of being.

What about the problems though? On a daily basis, each of us is faced with personal and worldwide situations that try to challenge our confidence in God’s allness and goodness. In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy writes, “Undisturbed amid the jarring testimony of the material senses, Science, still enthroned, is unfolding to mortals the immutable, harmonious, divine Principle—is unfolding Life and the universe, ever present and eternal” (p. 306). To me, this means that the day-to-day problems that crop up and try to shake our strong foundations in Truth can actually be opportunities for us to prove that divine Science is enthroned. Right where chaos and disorder appear to be, the laws of God are intact and supporting us—unfolding harmony and peace.

I had one of these very opportunities, albeit on a relatively small scale, to prove the reign of divine Science several years ago. I was driving home from an afternoon out running errands. That morning, I had been praying to better understand God’s ever-presence. As I prayed, it became very clear to me that because I was the reflection of God, I was inseparable from God. Likewise, I was totally safe—nothing could harm me, the reflection, because nothing could harm the original, God.

As Mrs. Eddy pointed out, the lesser demonstration proves the greater.

I went about my day with a great feeling of peace as a result of these prayers. It was a beautiful late summer day, so I chose to take the longer route home that passed by the beach for many miles. At one point, I noticed pedestrians about to cross at a crosswalk, and stopped to allow them to pass. Just as the last pedestrian crossed, I looked in my rearview mirror and noticed another car quickly approaching. Before I knew it, the car rear-ended my vehicle.

One of the pedestrians rushed to my car window and asked whether I was all right as a crowd gathered on the side of the road. Somewhat surprised, I assured her that I was completely fine. Though I heard the other car hit my car, I had felt no impact. I assumed that this was nothing more than a minor fender bender. When I got out of my car, however, I saw my reflection in the window, and noticed that the (snug) baseball hat that I had been wearing was no longer on my head. Instead, it was on the window ledge behind the back seat. It had been thrown back there when the car hit me. Furthermore, when the police came to the scene, we noticed that the rear license plate on my car was missing. After much searching, we finally found it lodged into the engine of the car that had rear-ended me. Clearly, this had not been a minor fender-bender.

My car had been totaled as a result of this event. And yet, I had felt no impact. Not only was I not sore or otherwise injured (in fact, I never had so much as a bruise or scrape after the fact), but I was also joyous, calm, and not fazed by what had occurred. One of the fire fighters who arrived on the scene remarked, “I wish all the people I saw had as positive an attitude as you do.”

It was more than a positive attitude, however. Almost as soon as the accident occurred, my thought was drawn to the ideas that I had prayed with that morning. I knew that I was God’s reflection. That spiritual law could not be reversed or changed by any circumstance, and I still had a right to all the good that comes with being God’s reflection. I understood that was not only true about me, but also about the other driver and the pedestrians near by. We all were protected by this spiritual truth. None of our identities had ever been at risk. Truly, I was “undisturbed, amid the jarring testimony of the material senses.”

I should note, this continued to be the case in the days that followed the accident. The insurance companies worked quickly and harmoniously to settle the claim, and I soon had another car that has met my needs perfectly. When I spoke to the other driver at the scene, I assured him that I was not angry, but grateful we all were safe. I never felt any ill will toward the other driver. Likewise, I never suffered any of the physical ailments that others warned me might crop up days or weeks after the incident.

While this experience might pale in comparison to what’s happening on the global scene, it is of no less significance, because it demonstrates Principle. As Mrs. Eddy pointed out, the lesser demonstration proves the greater; the fact that three multiplied by three equals nine proves conclusively that three times three duodecillions equals nine duodecillions (see Science and Health p. 108).

Likewise, just as this experience proved to me that I was not at the mercy of accidents, uncertainty, and risk, we all have the right to claim the same conviction in the midst of challenging or seemingly chaotic situations. The spiritual fact that man is the reflection of God, inseparable from the original—from divine Life, Spirit—is still enthroned today. It is not outdated or wishful; it is eternal truth.

Regardless of the situation, divine Principle is revealing immutable peace and harmony to each one of us. Each time one of us prays to understand this more clearly and sees proof of it in our lives, we not only deepen our understanding of God and improve our own situation, but we also embrace and bring healing to our friends and neighbors around the world.